But what will people say?
I recently posed the following question on Twitter: "Which decisions would you make differently if you knew that nobody was going to judge you?". My own question has had me examine my motivations, my influences, my heart as I have gone about making decisions. I'll be the first one to say "Oh, don't let what people might think stop you from doing what you really want to do. Life is short! Go for it!" But... upon deeper reflection, when you stop and analyze each decision and take note of your train of thought as you are weighing up the pros and cons, well, you might realize (as I have) that influences are certainly there, whether they are faith based or fear based, people based or feelings based. Influences are not all bad, in fact, they make us who we are. I am influenced by the way I was raised. I am influenced by the types of people I socialize with. I am influenced by my faith. But I am also influenced by society which is where the challenge arises ...